Rick Thoman

@alaskawx

Climate specialist with ACCAP/IARC at UAF, highlighting Alaska and Arctic climate, environment & Indigenous cultures. Opinions are my own. Alaska and Arctic Climate Newsletter:

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Rick Thoman@alaskawx· 29d

High temperatures (ºF) in and around Alaska on Monday. Cool and damp in the western and southwest Interior and parts of Southcentral. Warmest weather into the NWT MacKenzie valley. #akwx #weather @climatologist49.bsky.social

Map centered on Alaska showing site-specific high temperatures (ºF) on Monday, July 13, 2026. Plotted temperatures range from 36F at Uelen, Russia to 86F at Norman Wells and Ft. Good Hope, NT.

Rick Thoman@alaskawx· 29d

Or not. The four very strong El Niños winters since 1970.

Rick Thoman@alaskawx· Jul 13

High temperatures (ºF) in and around Alaska on Sunday. Cooler across western Alaska as warmest weather moves into northwest Canada. Quite chilly for mid-July in the Bristol Bay and Kuskokwim delta areas. #akwx #weather @climatologist49.bsky.social

Map centered on Alaska showing site-specific high temperatures (ºF) on Sunday, July 12, 2026. Plotted temperatures range from 37F at Uelen, Russia to 85F at Ft. McPherson, NT.

Rick Thoman@alaskawx· Jul 12

Sea ice extent in the Chukchi Sea is the highest for this point in the season since 2000 (although only slightly higher than 2024) in NSIDC data. The Beaufort Sea has virtually no open water, a first for this point in the summer since 2000. #akwc #Arctic #SeaIce

Left: Chukchi Sea daily sea ice extent each year 1979 to 2026 with the past two years and the 1991-2020 smoothed median highlighted. Right: NWS Alaska Sea ice Program sea ice concentration analysis to July 11, 2026.

Rick Thoman@alaskawx· Jul 12

High temperatures (ºF) in and around Alaska on Saturday. Quite warm central/northeast Interior, northern and central Yukon Territory and MacKenzie valley. Cool and damp northern/eastern Bering Sea coast. #akwx #weather Trying a little different presentation today. We'll see how it works.

Map centered on Alaska showing site-specific high temperatures (ºF) on Saturday July 11, 2026. Plotted temperatures range from 45F at Uelen, Russia to 85F at Central, AK.

Rick Thoman@alaskawx· Jul 11

Sea surface temperature difference from the 1991-2020 baseline average for the week ending July 10 around Alaska. Persisting sea ice showing up with much below average SSTs western Chukchi Sea and the Beaufort Sea offshore of the Mackenzie River delta. Data courtesy NOAA/PSL/ESRL. #akwx #Arctic #SST

Map centered on Alaska showing the average sea surface temperature different from the 1991-2020 baseline (ºC) for the week of July 4-10, 2026.

Rick Thoman@alaskawx· Jul 11

Highest June 2026 (hourly) air temperatures around the Arctic. June highs widely above 30C in western Siberia & in the Northwest Territories, Canada around Great Slave Lake. As usual, temps barely cracked freezing over the central Arctic Ocean. Data courtesy of ECMWF/Copernicus. #Arctic #Summer2026

Map centered on the North Pole showing the highest hourly temperature in June (ºC). Created by merging the AgERA5 for land temperatures and base ERA5 over ocean areas.

Rick Thoman@alaskawx· Jul 11

High temperatures (ºF) in and around Alaska on Friday. Warmest in the upper Yukon valley, pleasantly mild in Southcentral. Also the mildest day of the year so far at Unalaska. Still cool and damp in Southeast. #akwx #weather @climatologist49.bsky.social

Map centered on Alaska showing site-specific high temperatures (ºF) on Friday, July 10, 2026. Plotted temperatures range from 45F at Point Hope to 83F at Central.

Rick Thoman@alaskawx· Jul 11

Smoke from Northwest Territories wildfires has spread westward to cover much of the Yukon Territory and eastern mainland Alaska. Early Saturday morning AQIs around the region courtesy Purple Air. #akwx #ytwx #Wildfire #Smoke @evaholland.bsky.social @jkanadisk.bsky.social @carrieinfbx.bsky.social

Screenshot of the PurpleAir map centered near the Alaska-Yukon border plotting PM2..5 AQI at about 7am AKDT Saturday. Many reports in the Yukon Territory of AQI in the unhealthy category. Alaska north of Alaska Range mostly in the moderate to sensitive categories.

Rick Thoman@alaskawx· Jul 10

The Beaufort Sea (north of Alaska, northwest Canada) had no open water (sea ice concentration less than 15 percent) on July 9th in NSIDC analysis. The only other summer since 1979 with days without any open water this late in the season was 2000 (July 15 and 16). #akwx #Arctic #SeaIce #Summer2026

Bar plot of the percent of the Beaufort with open water on July 9th each year 1979 to 2026. Values than 0.1 percent are shown with a back dot and the median value is shown for reference.

Rick Thoman@alaskawx· Jul 10

2026 Alaska wildfire season thus far less and than 36,000 acres (14,400 ha) have burned. This is the third lowest total through July 9th in the past 34 years: only 1995 and 2023 lower. Historically, about 60 percent of the area that will burn for the entire season has burned by now. #akwx #Wildfire

Bar plot of the area burned in Alaska through July 9 for each year 1993 to 2026. For reference the 1993-2025 median is also shown.

Rick Thoman@alaskawx· Jul 10

High temperatures (ºF) in and around Alaska on Thursday. Continued quite warm northern Interior to North Slope. Warmer around upper Bristol Bay and Kodiak. Cool across Southcentral and most of the Tanana Valley. #akwx #weather @climatologist49.bsky.social

Map centered on Alaska showing site-specific high temperatures (ºF) on Thursday, July 9, 2026. Plotted temperatures range from 46F at Point Hope and St. Paul to 82F at Seven Mile.

Rick Thoman@alaskawx· Jul 9

U.S. Drought Monitor Alaska analysis showing several area of “abnormal dryness”, and this week introduces an area of moderate drought in the lower Kobuk valley in Northwest Arctic Borough. #akwx #Drought #Summer2026 droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/S...

Graphic showing the July 7, 2026 U.S. Drought Monitor analysis for Alaska.

Rick Thoman@alaskawx· Jul 9

Smoke from Northwest Territory, Canada wildfires will overspread the Yukon Territory and eastern half of mainland Alaska today as winds aloft remain east to northeast. Graphic shows the 4pm AKDT Thursday forecast "Vertically Integrated Smoke" (how much smoke is in the air). #Smoke #Wildifre #akwx

Graphic centered over northwest Canada showing the forecast amount of smoke in the air at 4pm AKDT Thursday, July 9, 2026. The very high levels from near Eagle, Alaska eastward into the central Yukon Territory and then into the NWT.

Rick Thoman@alaskawx· Jul 9

High temperatures (ºF) in and around Alaska on Wednesday. Very warm northern Interior across the Brooks Range to the North Slope. Heat extending eastward across the northern Yukon Territory and lower Mackenzie River valley. Rainy and cool southern Southeast and southwest Interior. #akwx #weather

Map centered on Alaska showing site-specific high temperatures (ºF) on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. Plotted temperatures range from 46F at Wales to 83F at Allakaket and Umiat.

Rick Thoman@alaskawx· Jul 8

This was the warmest June on record for the Arctic overall. Details in the latest post from the Alaska and Arctic Climate newsletter. Available on Substack and Beehiiv. #akwx #Arctic #Climate #Summer2026 alaskaclimate.substack.com/p/june-2026-... alaska-arctic-climate.beehiiv.com/p/june-2026-...

Splash screen for the post June 2026 Arctic and Alaska Climate Summary: record warm…and dry over arctic lands.

Rick Thoman@alaskawx· Jul 8

High temperatures (ºF) in and around Alaska on Tuesday. Very warm central and northern Interior onto the North Slope. Mild in Southcentral and Kodiak. Quite cool in southern Southeast. #akwx #weather @climatologist49.bsky.social

Map centered on Alaska showing site-specific high temperatures (ºF) on Tuesday July 7, 2026. Plotted temperatures range from 44F at Wales to 85F at Central.

Rick Thoman@alaskawx· Jul 8

Nice time-lapse video from Utqiaġvik as near shore ice breaking up and clear view of the midnight sun. #akwx #Summer2026 @climatologist49.bsky.social

Rick Thoman@alaskawx· Jul 7

Mildest day of 2026 (so far) at Utqiaġvik, Alaska’s northernmost city. Through 230pm AKDT Tuesday, the temperature has been up to 63F (17.2C). Normal high temp for July 7 is 48F (8.9C). #akwx #Summer2026 @climatologist49.bsky.social

Decoded hourly observations from the Utqiaġvik Airport for July 7, 2026 showing the highest temp (thru 2pm) of 63F.

Rick Thoman@alaskawx· Jul 7

June 1 through yesterday:

Rick Thoman@alaskawx· Jul 7

High temperatures (ºF) in and around Alaska on Monday, Very warm northern Interior and North Slope. Milder in southwest Alaska. Rainy and cool over much of Southeast. #akwx #weather @climatologist49.bsky.social

Map centered on Alaska showing site-specific high temperatures (ºF) on Monday, July 6, 2026. Plotted temperatures range from 45F at Gambell and St. Paul to 81F at Seven Mile.

Rick Thoman@alaskawx· Jul 7

Alaska and vicinity precipitation relative to normal was all over place in June. Most of western Alaska on the dry side. Southcentral, central/eastern Interior and the Yukon Territory saw high variability in short distances. Data courtesy @copernicusecmwf.bsky.social #akwx #Summer2026.

Map centered on Alaska showing June precipitation as the percent of the 1991-2020 baseline normal.

Rick Thoman@alaskawx· Jul 7

June warmest of record across western Siberia, parts of central/eastern Arctic Canada and much of the Norwegian Sea. Arctic-wide the mildest June on record. But…quite cool much of the Canadian Arctic Islands & SE Greenland. Data courtesy @copernicusecmwf.bsky.social. #Arctic #Climate #Summer2026

Map centered on the North Pole showing June 2026 average temperature as the different from the 1991-2020 baseline normal.

Rick Thoman@alaskawx· Jul 6

Big thunderstorm pounding Fairbanks Creamers Field to Alaskaland at 244pm Monday. Multiple pea-sized hail reports. #akwx #Thunderstorm #Summer2026.

Rick Thoman@alaskawx· Jul 6

Rare summer occurrence of almost completely cloud-free skies across the entire southern Beaufort Sea. Sea ice extent for the first week of July in the Beaufort is the highest since 2000. Chukchi Sea ice holding on north of 70ºN. Image courtesy @alaskagina.bsky.social. #akwx #Arctic #SeaIce #Canada

NOAA-21 polar orbiting satellite Truecolor image centered over north-central Alaska with notable features annotated.

Rick Thoman@alaskawx· Jul 6

High temperatures (ºF) in and around Alaska on Sunday. Near to slightly above normal in the Interior. Warmer on the North Slope.Cool on southeast Bering Sea coast. #akwx #weather @climatologist49.bsky.social

Map centered on Alaska showing site-specific high temperatures (ºF) on Sunday, July 5, 2026. Plotted temperatures range from 45F at Port Heiden to 77F at Eagle, Seven Mile and Shungnak.

Rick Thoman@alaskawx· Jul 5

Sea ice extent is very high for early July in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. The combined Chukchi/Beaufort Seas extent is the highest since 2000. Similar to 2024, the western Chukchi Sea has still has extensive ice and in there's hardly any open water yet in the Beaufort Sea. #akwx #Arctic #SeaIce

Left: Chukchi Sea daily sea ice extent 1979 to 2026 with the past two seasons and the smoothed 1991-2020 median highlighted. Right: NWS Alaska Sea Ice Program sea ice concentration analysis to July 4, 2026.

Rick Thoman@alaskawx· Jul 5

High temperatures (ºF) in and around Alaska on Saturday. Widespread thunderstorms in the Interior. Mild in Northwest Arctic Borough and Seward Peninsula. Chilly in southwest Alaska. A bit milder in Southeast. #akwx #weather @climatologist49.bsky.social

Map centered on Alaska showing site-specific high temperatures (ºF) on Saturday, July 4, 2026. Plotted temperatures range from 37F at Utqiaġvik to 74F at Allakaket and Bettles.

Rick Thoman@alaskawx· Jul 4

High temperatures (ºF) in and around Alaska on Friday. Cool and rainy over most of Southeast. Warm in the central and western Interior extending westward to the southern Seward Peninsula. Continued chilly on the western North Slope. #akwx #weather @climatologist49.bsky.social

Map centered on Alaska showing site-specific high temperatures (ºF) on Friday, July 3, 2026. Plotted temperatures range from 36F at Utqiaġvik to 75F at Bettles, Fairbanks, Husila, Seven Mile and Tanana.

Rick Thoman@alaskawx· Jul 4

Here's the News-Miner Headline: